Star Wars Outlaws Faces Further Sales Decline

Summary

• Star Wars Outlaws is being outsold by 2023's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
• Ubisoft’s stocks dropped sharply following the launch of Star Wars Outlaws in August 2024.
• Players dislike the game's combat and stealth mechanics.

In a disappointing development for Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft's ambitious open-world title is being significantly outsold by the 2023 release, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Despite early positive reviews upon its launch in August 2024, player feedback has been critical of the game's combat and stealth mechanics. Ubisoft attempted to address these issues through subsequent updates, but the initial negative reception has persisted, affecting the game's overall reception.

The poor performance has led to disappointing financial results for Star Wars Outlaws, the first truly open-world Star Wars game. Ubisoft acknowledged in September 2024 that the game did not meet sales expectations. Following the game's release on August 27, 2024, Ubisoft's stock prices plummeted, raising concerns about the company's future and sparking discussions about potential privatization. Despite these setbacks, both Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment remain hopeful that planned post-launch DLCs will help revive interest in Star Wars Outlaws.

Adding to the challenges, a recent report from VGC and former GamesIndustry.biz journalist Christopher Dring highlighted that not only is Star Wars Outlaws underperforming, but it is also being outsold by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Respawn Entertainment's action-adventure sequel has sold more copies than Star Wars Outlaws, though exact figures remain undisclosed. In Europe, Star Wars Outlaws ranked as the 47th best-selling video game of 2024.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is Outselling Star Wars Outlaws

Several factors contribute to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's success over Star Wars Outlaws. As a sequel to the well-received Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it benefited from an established fanbase and received widespread acclaim upon its April 2023 release. Additionally, EA and Respawn's decision to release an update for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PS4 and Xbox One in the previous year reignited interest in the game.

Conversely, Star Wars Outlaws has struggled to capture a similar audience, despite ongoing efforts from Massive Entertainment to improve the game through updates and additional content. The first expansion, Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card, released in November 2024, featured a storyline with Kay Vess teaming up with Lando Calrissian. The upcoming second DLC, Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune, set for a Spring 2025 release, will include the popular character Hondo Ohnaka from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. These expansions are crucial for Ubisoft's efforts to turn around the game's fortunes.